Asma Barlas, director of the Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, was invited to moderate a discussion on "A Balloon for Allah," a documentary by Nefise Ozkal Lorentzen, screened in the "UNSPOKEN" Film Festival in Utica, NY, on October 14th. The documentary features interviews with Gamal al-Banna, Nawal el-Sadawi, and Barlas, among others, and has garnerd its Turkish-Norwegian film-maker several awards.

Barlas also took part in a panel discussion on "Culture Under Siege in Pakistan", moderated by Fergus Nicoll, host of BBC's "The World Today." The discussion, which took place on October 10th in Syracuse, was part of the "Caravanserai" project that is housed this year at SUNY, Oswego.

Asma Barlas, professor and director, Center for the Study of Culture, Race, and Ethnicity, gave one of two keynotes at Hope College's Critical Issues Symposium on "Exploring Islam" this year. In addition, she conducted a focus session on "Reading Scripture." Both events took place on October 5th, in Holland, Michigan. http://www.hope.edu/cis/